Ron Holland

Why Everybody's Going To War in the Middle East

"Everybody's going to war but we don't know what we are fighting for." – Nerina Pallot, from "Everybody's Gone to War"

Iran Wants War

Although a peaceful nation for hundreds of years, Iran was invaded
and occupied by the Allies in both World War One and Two. Then in 1980,
at the urging of the United States, Saddam Hussein invaded them and used poison gas against both Kurds and Iran. Over
500,000 civilians, Iranian and Iraqi soldiers died in the longest war of
the 20th century, which lasted until 1988.

Iran wants war because they believe they can withstand an Israel and
US air assault and that unless they are invaded and occupied they can
claim victory. No Middle East nation has ever been victorious against
either the US or Israel and to declare victory against both will make
Iran the leading nation across the entire region, at least for the
people in the street. An Israel/US assault would also solve growing
domestic political problems against the regime.

Israel

Bibi Netanyahu obviously believes Iran threatens the survival of Israel, as no major
domestic political reasons to go to war are evident. The majority of
Israel's population appears to be opposed to a military strike against
Iranian nuclear facilities because of retaliation from Iran and
Hezbollah. But as in the US, what the majority of the people want is of
no consequence.

If the war plan leaked several days ago is real (see "Bibi's Secret War Plan") it's excellent but no war plan survives the first contact with the enemy. It appears to be an exact reverse of my fictional "The First American Dollar War Defeat" in which Electromagnetic Pulse weaponry is deployed.

So Netanyahu believes Israel can delay Iranian nuclear advances by
bombing them back into the Stone Age with the help of America, who will
surely be drawn into the conflict. Although most neocon experts believe the war will be short with a minimum of retaliation I
fear the war could be a long one, pulling in many other nations in the
Middle East. Again, Iran showed its resolve against Iraq in their long
war and this same determination would rise to extreme levels against an
Israeli strike.

USA

The old war against terror propaganda is losing ground to alternative news and opinion now available because of the Internet Reformation.
Frankly, few people believe anything from either the American
government or its establishment propaganda outlets and this is a
frightening situation to the power elite that rules America.

Due to the growing economic crisis, the government needs to take
strong actions that could be violently resisted by large segments of the
US population unless a major financial or military crisis can be used
as an excuse and cover for coming dictatorial actions. Simply stated,
there are not enough police and military in the US to control the
population should an insurrection take place. A major war in the Middle
East can provide a casus belli for a direct assault against US private
wealth, liberties, benefit programs and opposition by the power elite.

For example, the imposition of a military draft will dramatically cut
unemployment rates as well as limit inner-city crime and outrage over
cuts in domestic spending and welfare. Remember, austerity is needed and
a draconian cut in Social Security and benefit programs must be
engineered against the 50 percent of the population who receive some
type of government benefits.

In addition, gold will need to be confiscated. Forced retirement
investment into collapsing dollar denominated Treasury obligations must
be required when foreign investors stop buying US debt. Stronger TSA
authority, drones and harsh domestic controls will need to be
implemented for the duration of the conflict in order to squelch
domestic opposition. Taxes must be raised, penalties and fines must be
doubled and tripled at the federal, state and municipal levels and
finally, severe limitations on freedom of speech and freedom of assembly
will be forced on the American people, along with gun control and
limited access to Internet news and communications.

Finally, a major, long-term war in the Middle East will provide an
excuse for the deferment and rescheduling of US debt obligations owed to
nations and governments that oppose the US/Israel war in the Middle
East. For the $1 trillion owed to China and many Middle East nations,
this is effectively debt repudiation.

China

China wants to see the US weakened long-term as a world power and a
major war in the Middle East will do this. They also need a reason to
dump US Treasury debt and an excuse to avoid the blame of the coming
broader repudiation of US debt. The Chinese people will be justifiably
outraged that the Chinese government and central bank accumulated $1 trillion in US debt, although there were legitimate
global trading reasons and domestic economic justification for this
over-concentration in US debt and dollar obligations.

A Middle East war would avoid direct military action between the US
and China while protecting both US and Chinese politicians from the
coming Treasury debt repudiation, Chinese dump and global run on the
dollar and Treasuries.

Conclusion

All sides in the coming conflict – except for the civilian
populations and the soldiers maimed and killed – will win if everything
goes according to plan. However, nothing ever goes according to plan in
wars and this is the problem the world will face. Prolonged recession
or depression, wealth and benefit confiscation throughout the EU, US and other Western democracies and the risk of a Middle East conflict spreading around the world is my fear.

Who is guaranteed to win regardless of the outcome of the war and whether it can be contained? The Anglo-American financial elites and the bankers always win every conflict regardless
of the military outcome. This is the history of the 20th century and I
see no reason that will change now.

Forty-plus years ago, when I was in basic training, we sang the
patriotic and somewhat funny marching songs. But when our drill
sergeants were out of range, we would shift into "1, 2, 3, what are we fighting for?"

Looks to me like nothing has changed. American soldiers are still
fighting for the power elites and their favored industries. I wish it
were different.

Who is he: Ron Holland is CEO of
Biologix Hair Inc., a private Florida corporation headquartered in
Toronto, Ontario. Holland is the author of several books, including The Threat to the Private Pension System and Escape the Pension Trap,
and of numerous special reports and hundreds of articles on investment
and political topics, many of which focus on the interplay between
politics and the investment markets. Selections of his essays can be
found in the archives of LewRockwell.com and TheDailyBell.com.

Ron Holland also has developed and introduced several innovative
investment products to investors in the US, including the first
Swiss-franc denominated variable annuity portfolio licensed in the US.

In his writing and conference presentations, Ron Holland emphatically
advocates global investment diversification into foreign currencies and
non-US markets as essential for protection from the US government's
growing debt. Holland is particularly concerned about the vulnerability
of retirement funds in the US, and consults to leading financial
solutions providers seeking to provide viable options for citizens
seeking protection.

Ron Holland is a contributing editor to several newsletters dealing
with political and investing topics including the popular, free-market
oriented, Swiss publication, Mountain Vision and
is chairman of the advisory board of The Foundation for the Advancement
of Free-Market Thinking (FAFMT). He speaks frequently at financial,
professional and political conferences around the world, including FreedomFest in Las Vegas and World Economic Summit, the free-market alternative to Davos, in the Bahamas.

Background: Originally from North Carolina, Ron
Holland lived and worked in Geneva, Switzerland from 2003 to 2004, and
then divided his time between the US and Europe until 2012 when he
relocated to Toronto. Ron continues to speak publicly on the virtues of free-market thinking and the need for individuals to accept personal repsonsibility for their own lives.

Ron Holland is a graduate of the University of South
Carolina-Columbia with a degree in Banking and Finance. In his 30-year
career, Ron has worked as president of International Retirement
Consultants, an international consulting firm specializing in retirement
planning, head of the trust department of First Citizens Bank &
Trust in Greenville, SC, and as president of JML Swiss Investment
Counsellors USA Inc., a Swiss-owned US securities broker/dealer licensed
in 47 states of the US. He has held various securities and insurance
licenses. Ron Holland is currently CEO of Biologix Hair, Inc., based in
Toronto.

Ron wrote: "Iran wants war because..." Iran wants War??? What the hell have you been smoking. If they wanted war they would have long ago retaliated for the acts of war perpetrated against them. They are not the war mongers now or in the past many decades.

You seem to think war is a done deal...maybe so, but I hope the criminals will stop being criminals or else get their head handed to themselves. At any rate, I hope whomever attacks the peaceful country of Iran does indeed get their head handed over. I'm not talking about the troops here...they are just useful idiots like I was when I joined up during Nam.

History shows that governments always turn criminal and use the property of their subjects against them...usually in cooperation with bankers. Will humanity ever learn to spot placing power in the hands of governments that ALWAYS turn evil?

Comment by Ed Price

Entered on: 8/27/2012 6:15:36 PM

There is only ONE MAJOR REASON for all the warring in the Middle East. All the rest of the reasons are superficial, make-believe, satellite reasons. It's a religious war: Christianity vs. Islam; Judaism vs. Paganism; Jacob vs. Esau; God vs. the devil.